


Sympathy System

by Kosho



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drinking, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-06-05 18:30:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6716287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosho/pseuds/Kosho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short piece to kick off the rare pair appreciation week thing. I plan to add at least a little more to this. Not quite sure how much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's short, but to be honest, Cole is a challenge to work with ;3;

Ambrosine dropped her head to the table, her fingertip slowly tracing the edge of her glass, the seventh she had drunk this morning. Grey eyes lined in red from tears, bloodshot from spending the night before at this same table. It had been a horrible week, lots of missteps and chaos, things going wrong at every turn. Left with so few people she hadn’t pushed away, she felt as though there were no one she could talk to, turning instead to the bar. A hand lightly brushed her shoulder, tensing at the contact, unable to tell without looking who it was, until he spoke.

“You’ve caused worry.” The voice urged.

“Cole. Somehow, I should have guessed it would be you. Tell me, since you know _so well_. Who have I worried?” she said, trying to sound defensive, but only managing to sound far sadder.

“Your eyes are not so closed that you can’t see it.” He told her, trying to help her to her feet. “relax, rest, recover, it’s alright.”

She stubbornly resisted, but eventually gave in, leaning sloppily against his side as he gripped her tightly. Like this, despite her small frame, she was heavy, and he didn’t want to risk letting her slip, taking the steps slowly. Through the yard, to the main hall, she frowned, strange looks in her direction, some even accusing as if he had somehow caused her condition, though he was the only one trying to help.

“It doesn’t bother me.” He said before she had a chance to ask.

It was nice, not having to wonder what someone was thinking, or struggling to find the words to tell someone else what you need, or worry about how they might change their perceptions of her if she _had_ asked. That he could tell what she needed without her saying anything and that he was simply too nice to judge her was comforting. Cole led her towards her room, up the stairs and to her bed, all before he let her go. Tugging the covers from the foot of the bed to her chin, he turned to leave, stopping once more. She looked at him, smiling, covering up how sad she was, like crying in her mind. He pulled on the brim of his hat, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, picking at loose threads on his gloves.

“Am I making you nervous?” she asked him.

Cole shook his head, looking around the room after a short time. Big, bright with the light filtering in through the balcony windows, simply decorated with few personal touches. It suited her personality, but at the same time, there was some small part of her that seemed to wish she had something, just one nice thing that was all hers. They hadn’t been at Skyhold more than a week, and he couldn’t tell if she had done anything to the room.

“I’ll go to sleep soon. You don’t have to stay…” she said offhandedly.

Shaking his head again, he frowned, and she guessed it was troubling him to be in such a personal place, or perhaps he wondered what others thought he might be doing in here. Rolling onto her side, she curled up loosely, resting a hand under her head.

“I don’t care what they think about you being here and I won’t let anyone speak ill of you.” She assured him.

He wanted to stay, to watch and make sure she was alright, but it was becoming uncomfortable. It occurred to him that a strange knot had appeared in the pit of his stomach, something new that he didn’t like. Cole stood up, hands poking lightly at his sides as he shuffled out quickly, in his hurry, he had forgotten to make her forget that he had been there at all, or maybe it was intentional, at this point, so confused that he couldn’t be sure either way. Those same looks followed him back through the hall and yard, pulling his hat down tighter as though that might somehow make them stop watching him that way. It was disconcerting, disappearing from view until he could find a place where he could escape, to be alone with his thoughts.


	2. Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Inquisitor's vulnerable side can't be kept under wraps forever. Cole realizes she misses home and the burden placed on her is slowly tearing her apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came entirely later than I meant it to, but I'm still struggling with Cole.

Ambrosine was told to set out for Crestwood, awake, but nursing a hangover that felt like someone pounding nails inside her head, the light blinding. She would have given every last sovereign to her name if she could retreat to the darkest corner of her room, head wedged between her pillows. Still convinced most had gotten tired of her moping, she decided on the considerably less safe route of picking her company based on who she could tolerate the most, this time Cassandra, Cole and Solas, a decision she would surely later regret. Solas for the most part was normally quiet, reflective, and around Cole, at least, quite a bit more animated. That was no problem, the problem was the Seeker’s increasingly common suggestion that Cole was a demon, and she should get rid of him while she had the chance. Paranoia at its finest, she was specific about the company she kept, decisive about who could be trusted, and he was easily top of the list material. Too gentle to cause problems, his desire to be helpful should have been an unquestionable boon, and yet it only seemed that way to her, Solas and Varric. Even Sera didn’t find him an asset, forget Vivienne, who seemed to echo Cass’ sentiment on the matter. 

 

Out here, away from the safety of the walls, this particular group formation was effective. Her and Solas with different specialties, Cole with stealth and efficient blades, and Cassandra...well, she was loud and defensible, so there was that at least. Right now, she could do without the loud, but a shield in between her and their enemies was a good thing in any situation. The most positive thing about the days long trip there was that she surely would be better off in another day. Like this, it felt like all her thoughts were clogging up, unable to pick out just one to focus on, instead, like taking a satchel of random objects and dumping them into a pile of more junk. Her pace was regrettably slow, and she knew it would only make the overall trip that much longer, but her legs felt like stone, requiring a valiant effort to manage some semblance of composure so she didn’t stumble. 

 

“You’re not looking well, today.” Solas observed. 

 

“Today? Just today? I spent an entire day in the tavern drinking, and I manage a few hours of sleep...and you said I’m not looking well  _ today _ . I feel terrible, and I’m guessing I look better today than I did before I was poured into bed.” she paused her ranting, even the quiet tone she took far too loud in her head. “Thank you for that, in case I forgot to say it last night.” 

 

Cole glanced up at her words, a faint smile on his face. It said he had done well, something helpful, something good, and she was pleased with him for it. Cassandra glanced back, shaking her head slightly. 

 

“You let that  _ thing _ in your room?” she asked. 

 

Aching or not, it was too much for her, gods, he was  _ right there _ , and she had the gall to say such a thing in front of him. 

 

“That  _ thing _ is the only  _ person _ who bothered to help. Cared enough to make sure I got to bed safely, actually cared if I was going to be alright. Maybe I’m just being forgetful...oh, no, you  _ weren’t _ there. So tell me how you can show concern for my wellbeing?” she hissed irritably. 

 

It rang in her skull, throbbed behind her eyes, feeling like punishment for losing her temper. It was effective though, Cassandra offered no excuse, falling silent. Solas, to her great surprise, shifted uncomfortably as though he might actually feel just a little guilty. He had been preoccupied, and hadn’t particularly noticed her absence, or else, he told himself, he would have at least stopped to see if she needed anything. By the time they had settled on a place to camp for the night, she was still seething over the conversation, if it could even be called that much, that she pondered sleeping outside, just to avoid sharing quarters with her. Instead, she bit back a frown, slipping in with Solas and Cole, though she had forgotten the man’s love of the Fade, almost concerned she had bothered him when he left shortly after. If this had been her before the Inquisition, it might have struck her as something she shouldn’t do, but months of bedding down with the men and women she travelled with, it barely occurred to her to lend it any thought at all. 

 

Cole glanced over curiously, though he said nothing, and she imagined it had to be entirely a lack of certainty on what, if anything to say. Ambrosine couldn’t be sure there was even anything on her mind at this point, in part due to the continued lack of conscious thought to latch onto and equally, her mood had went from angry to blank in record time. No strong feelings that she could relate to a word beyond ‘white’, there was nothing. In its own way, it was bliss, a rare thing for her these days. 

 

“Is this alright? I can go if this is uncomfortable for you.” she finally said, her attention drawn back to him. 

 

He shook his head negatively, quickly busying himself with examining his hands. He couldn’t quite figure out what about her made him feel the way he did, unsure how to relate it to word, let alone thought, though he was trying. Sparks, air, fire, all in one, light, hot, but also cold. Things that didn’t quite belong together, and yet they were. He watched her clutch the lone pillow, uncaring of how chilly the night air was, the bedroll’s warmth ignored in favor of planting her face into the welcoming darkness.  _ Soft, and snagged, weary, aching, alone, so tired, but sleep won’t come.  _ All things that were silent, but not lost to him, the weight of the burden she carried dropped for just a moment, things he could hear, as if her very being had spoken them in his mind. 

 

Cole hesitated, unsure how to help, or if he even could do anything for her at that moment. He held out his hand, fingers shaking slightly, slowly coming to rest on her head, gently. She made a quiet sound as if curious as to what it was, but wasn’t quite concerned enough to lift her head to look. She seemed to still, calmer at his touch, the slight shift of her shoulders signalled her relief, relaxing finally. 

 

_ “Thank you…” _ she murmured. 

 

Again, she had thanked him, and again, he was glad that he had helped somehow, though this time, it felt as though he hadn’t done anything to be thanked for. She drifted off slowly, and he could feel her thoughts slowing with her breathing. Warm, gentle, soft blanket, the Keeper smiled, proud, but sad, the last time. Her drifting conscious had conjured a memory of home, of the people she called ‘family’, of a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. Cole frowned at that, there was little enough her companions could do to replace such a feeling, not when she didn’t think they would concern themselves with her wellbeing. To her, it was like being picked apart, pulled in all directions, the hunter doesn’t care for the prey it hunts, barely enough to sate its growing hunger. What could be done to change that? 


End file.
